Chereads / "HAREM SYSTEM" / Chapter 25 - Chapter - 25 (18+)

Chapter 25 - Chapter - 25 (18+)

But Kaito did not move. His body lay still, his eyes closed, and his breathing so shallow it was nearly imperceptible. To the devils, he appeared dead-a lifeless husk that no longer posed a threat. One by one, they began to retreat, their grotesque forms disappearing back into the fog.

But Kaito was far from dead.

As the last of the creatures began to fade into the mist, a faint glow flickered in the darkness. It started as a faint pulse in Kaito's chest, spreading outward until his entire body was bathed in a soft, blue light. His wounds, though grievous, no longer bled.

Then, his eyes snapped open.

The brilliant blue of his eyes cut through the fog like twin beacons, glowing with an unearthly light. The cursed energy within him surged, building to a crescendo as his anger and resolve fueled his power. The oppressive fog seemed to recoil, as if sensing the storm that was about to be unleashed.

"You thought that was enough to kill me?" Kaito muttered, his voice low and filled with venom.

"Fools."

In an instant, his cursed energy exploded outward in a flash of blinding blue light. The fog was momentarily dispelled, revealing the devils mid-retreat. They barely had time to react before the blue flash struck them, cutting through their twisted bodies like a blade. One by one, they disintegrated, their monstrous forms reduced to nothingness.

The attack lasted only seconds, but when the light faded, the battlefield was silent once more. The fog began to creep back in, but the devils were gone, obliterated in a single, devastating strike.

Kaito staggered to his feet, his body trembling from the effort. Blood still dripped from his wounds, but he ignored the pain. He glanced around, ensuring there were no more threats, before limping away from the carnage.

After some time, he found a secluded spot beneath a gnarled, cursed tree. The air here was slightly calmer, the fog thinner, and Kaito collapsed onto the ground, his strength nearly spent.

Resting his back against the tree, he placed his hands over his wounds and closed his eyes. His breathing slowed as he focused inward, channeling his cursed energy into healing. The reverse curse technique activated, a faint glow enveloping his body as his injuries began to mend.

The pain ebbed away slowly, replaced by a sense of cold, calculated determination. Kaito's mind replayed the ambush, analyzing every move and every mistake. The devils had underestimated him, but he knew the true challenge was still ahead.

As the last of his wounds closed, Kaito opened his eyes and stared into the fog. His lips curled into a faint smirk, his blue eyes still glowing faintly.

"That was just the welcoming committee," he muttered to himself, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "The Two-Headed Devil better be worth the trouble."

With renewed resolve, he stood, his body steady and his mind clear. He adjusted his tattered clothes, brushed the blood from his hands. Kaito stood amidst the battlefield, his body fully healed from the brutal injuries he had sustained earlier. Yet, he could feel the toll it had taken. The curse energy he had used to mend himself was now dangerously low, leaving him vulnerable to whatever might come next. He clenched his fists, frustration brewing within him. This weakness is unacceptable, he thought.

Looking down at the corpses of the devils he had just slain, an idea sparked in his mind. Kaito crouched over one of the larger devils, his eyes glowing faintly with an ominous blue light as he leaned closer. Without hesitation, he bit into its lifeless body, drawing its blood. A surge of vitality coursed through him as his muscles tightened and his body regained a fraction of its lost strength.

"This isn't enough," he muttered, his voice dark and gravelly. His eyes narrowed as he focused on the lingering souls of the slain devils. They hovered around him, desperate to escape but bound by his power.

Stretching out his hands, Kaito summoned his curse energy, weaving it like a net around the ethereal forms. With a forceful pull, he dragged the souls toward him. They thrashed and wailed, but there was no escaping his grasp.

"You're mine now," he growled. One by one, he devoured the souls, swallowing their essence whole. As the last soul disappeared into him, a rush of energy burst through his body. His curse energy replenished, stronger than before, and a dark aura radiated around him.

Kaito smirked, a cruel glint in his eyes. "I may pay the price for using my curse energy, but I'll always find a way to rise above it. Nothing can stop me- not even death itself."

He stood tall, ready for whatever challenges lay ahead, knowing that each battle only made him more powerful.

Kaito moved deeper into the marshland, each step slow and deliberate. The air grew heavier, carrying a sharp, acrid smell that burned his nostrils. Beneath him, the ground squelched ominously, a sickly green mist rising from the bubbling pools of acid scattered across the terrain. The entire place reeked of decay. a grim reminder of the fate of anything that dared tread here unprepared.

As he ventured further, he noticed remnants of creatures-bones, armor, and weapons-melting away in the acidic mire. Some were half-submerged, their forms twisted and corroded as if caught mid-struggle. The sight sent a chill down his spine, a rare moment of unease for someone like Kaito.

"This place is alive with death," he murmured, his voice low but sharp.

The marsh seemed to mock him, gurgling and hissing as though eager for its next victim. Kaito tightened his focus, his cursed energy sparking faintly around his body to shield him from stray splashes of acid. He could feel the ground shifting beneath him, unstable and treacherous.

He crouched low, examining his path. One wrong step. and he could sink into one of the bubbling pits, his flesh and bone dissolving in seconds. His mind raced. Think, Kaito. Every step must be calculated. No room for error.